Diego Vivero of Wellington, FL clinched victory aboard Silvana Cabral’s Casquero in the $20,000 ProElite Grand Prix on Sunday morning, September 13 to finish up the ESP September Show at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The winning duo stopped the jump-off timers in 43.656 seconds to best the field of 27 total competitors. Coming in second place with a time 47.166 seconds was Gonzalo Guevara of Ocala, FL riding Valentine Car, owned by Fernando Cardenas Sr. Sophia Studd of Wellington, FL claimed the yellow ribbon with Marie Botved Studd’s Holsteins Matina after completing the jump-off in 48.099 seconds.
Diego Vivero on Casquero. Photo by Anne Gittins Photography.
Hector Loyola designed Sunday’s Grand Prix course, which took place in the Van Kampen Covered Arena due to inclement weather. Of the 27 combinations, only the top three finishers went double-clear and eight moved on to the jump-off after their first round. Vivero explained that his plan going into the first round was just to make it to the jump-off. “I had two horses in the class today, so of course my goal was to have both make it to the jump-off. I wasn’t quite as fast with my first horse [Casquero], but it was a clean round, which I was very happy about because my second horse had one rail. So I’m very happy with the win!” The duo is a newer pair, having just begun their work together approximately three months ago. Vivero continued, “Casquero is my student’s horse. This is only the third show I’ve competed him at and the second Grand Prix. So we’re all very happy with today’s results.”